I'm starting Traveler out biking with me because he needs to get used to the bike, the commands and everything. He LOVES it and all I do is down the street and back on the grass and some of me walking next to the bike with him. He gets the biggest kick out of me being able to go as fast as him. Now, my question is this-how far is too far and how much is too much for an almost 5 month old puppy that adult size is around 45 pounds in a breed not known for any hip or joint issues. I of course let him set the pace and would stop if he showed just an inkling of wanting too but I'm sure in his case I'm going to be the one stepping in and saying enough is enough because I believe he would go go go.

Now, I'm not talking about focing him to run at all and he would be on grass at all times, setting the pace at all times and a lot of slow trotting. But my main question is, when should I stop him? How much is enough? 1 quarter of a mile? More? Less?

I'd be interested in this aswell, I want to bike with Quinn when she's older for a quick form of excercise to use every morning before I have to leave her at home for work. I know she'd go as long as I asked her to though, I've seen her come home tired and Mac walks over and goes "lets play" just as she's about to collapse and she can jump up and start a game.

Not to hijack the thread but I havn't biked with a dog before (if Buster saw a dog me being on wheels is a terrible idea) but what commands would you teach and how would you teach them?

I love to bike with my dogs, but they're both over two years old. I'm not an expert on this, but I wouldn't bike with a dog younger than one year old since I've heard that running with them can put too much stress on their growing bones and joints. Also, it can be hard to know when they've had enough while biking too, since they like it so much and are eager to please, so they may push themselves more than is healthy. I use this hands-free device to bike with my dogs Amazon.com: Walky dog hands free bicycle leash: Kitchen & Dining and just love it. I also use a front-clip harness rather than a collar, so if I was ever to fall I wouldn't yank their necks.

I'd be interested in this aswell, I want to bike with Quinn when she's older for a quick form of excercise to use every morning before I have to leave her at home for work. I know she'd go as long as I asked her to though, I've seen her come home tired and Mac walks over and goes "lets play" just as she's about to collapse and she can jump up and start a game.

Yeah, I same here! I know that he would go as long as I let him so I want an idea for how far is too far but at the same time I can't see something like 1/4 of a mile on the grass at his pace being too hard on him

He's old enough to run around the yard like an idiot, around the house like an idiot, around the dog park like an idiot and so on and so forth. He's old enough to be walked, he's old enough to play some flirt pole I would think he would be old enough to trot next to a bike as he wants to for a little bit. He does that already when playing and for a longer time, the only difference is he's next to a bike, I'm holding a leash and keeping up with him

I keep comparing it to us going to the dog park where I can be with him for two hours just hiking around and him swimming, jumping, running and playing as he wants and can't see how a slow bike ride would hurt, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how much would be too much because I know he won't stop on his own

But, that being said I watched the first few times very closely to see what he does and if he's following my lead in the pace or his own and he is totally ignoring me except to whip his head up and grin. He slows down to a crawl and then runs full out like an idiot and then slows to a nice efficient trot as his heart desires

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Originally Posted by mrose_s

Not to hijack the thread but I havn't biked with a dog before (if Buster saw a dog me being on wheels is a terrible idea) but what commands would you teach and how would you teach them?

I bike with Kaylee daily when it's not too hot and not too much snow on the ground. We can go when she's in shape a good 7 miles. Now, I had a solid loose leash walk on her before I started her but I mainly just named things to her as we did them while biking such as "Slow!" every time I slowed down, "Faster" every time she or I sped up, "Stopping!" every time we slowed to a halt, "Turning!" every time we started to turn and then to get her to go in the grass when I wanted I would turn the bike in a little to her and as soon as she hopped into it I would say "Grass!"

I'm on a sled/scooter dog forum (DogsLovetoRun : Dogs Love to Run.) and it seems a lot of folks there start their pups out fairly early (from 5 to 6 months old, in moderation, with short, easy runs). Not sure if you have to join the group to see the messages, but there's a lot of good information from experienced people about starting/training a dog for biking/scootering. You might want to check it out...

I would watch him. A puppy will run a bit, stop and smell a rock, run a little, sit down, chase. On his own, how long does he keep up a run or a trot? Match this to your biking.

That's a very good idea!

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Originally Posted by Snark

I'm on a sled/scooter dog forum (DogsLovetoRun : Dogs Love to Run.) and it seems a lot of folks there start their pups out fairly early (from 5 to 6 months old, in moderation, with short, easy runs). Not sure if you have to join the group to see the messages, but there's a lot of good information from experienced people about starting/training a dog for biking/scootering. You might want to check it out...

Thanks so much for that link! Very interesting and I've been reading through the messages and you're right, seems like a lot of them start their dogs out early and are none the worse for wear.

mrose_s-I'm also talking to an experienced Koolie breeder and she told me they do a 2.5 mile drive on their 4wheelers around their paddock with their Koolies at least once a day and the 5 month old comes with. That she watches and gauges them and if she thinks they are going to overdue it then she stops them, but for the most part she lets them be

I wanted to say thanks you guys on here for not giving me the politically correct company line of "no forced exercise" and actually reading my post and thinking about it